Process and apparatus for making bulked filament yarns



March 30, 1965 G. BLOCH PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BULKED FILAMENT YARNS Filed Sept. 11, 1965 INVENTOR 600/595) BLOC/1" ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,175,348 PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BULKED FILAMENT YARNS Godfrey Bloch, 38 E. 75th St., New York 21, N.Y. Filed Sept. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 308,179 16 Claims. (Cl. 57-34) The present invention relates to a process and appartus for making bulked filament yarns. The present application is a continuation-in-part of application Serial No. 852,515 filed November 12, 1959 now Patent 3,061,998 issued November 6, 1962 and divisional application Serial No. 210,314 filed July 13, 1962 and still pending.

In my Patent No. 3,061,998, there is disclosed a process for producing a yarn composed of a group of crimped continuous synthetic filaments and a group of uncrimped continuous filaments, the straight filaments serving as stretch controls to impart to the yarn dimensional lengthwise stability and the crimped filaments providing the necessary bulk. In such a process, it is desirable for the filaments of one group to be interleaved with the filaments of the other group to assure substantially uniform distribution of the filaments of the two groups in the yarn.

One object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved process and apparatus for producing a yarn of the general type described in the aforesaid patent composed of crimped and uncrimped filaments in interleaved relationship.

In accordance with one feature of the present invention, the filaments of one group are separated by passing the filaments over guide means, and the filaments of the other group are interleaved with the filaments of said one group to merge and distribute the two groups of filaments together. The guide means may take the form of a member presenting a longitudinal guiding edge over which the filaments of one group pass, or may take the form of eyelets through which the filaments of said one group pass. The filaments of the two groups have differential crimp ing properties before the two groups are merged. For that purpose, the filaments of one group may be crimped, or may have a latent crimp which is developed upon subsequent treatment of the merged groups of filaments or the two groups of filaments may have different shrinking properties, which when the merged groups of filaments are wetted and dried, cause the less shinkable filaments to crimp.

In accordance with more specific features of the present invention, the continuous synthetic filaments to be crimped constituting one group are passed side by side over aicrimping knife edge. This operation serves the purposes of guiding this group of filaments in a predetermined course, separating and distributing the filaments along the knife edge and at the same time crimping the filaments. The filaments, which are not to be crimped and which constitute the other group, are fed side by side in separated condition towards the path of the separated filaments, which have been or are being crimped, to cause interleaving mergence of the two groups of filaments. The tow or bundle so formed may then be drawn together into one yarn or twisted to form a bulked or texturized yarn having lengthwise dimensional stability.

In one embodiment of the invention, the crimping knife edge is continuous and the filaments, which are not to be crimped, are delivered in separated condition to the regions between the other separated filaments at a zone close to but spaced from this knife edge. In another embodiment, there is provided a guide over which both groups of filaments pass, said guide having alternate increments presenting crimping knife edges and separated by guide increments presenting blunt or obtuse surfaces having no crimping effect. Alternate sets of filaments to be crimped, each set constituting one or more filaments, pass over the knife edge increments respectively while sets of filaments which are not to be crimped, each set constituting one or more filaments, pass over the blunt surfaces respectively. In this manner, the two groups of filaments are spaced and separated by the same guide; at the same time, the guide causes the filaments of one group to be crimped and the filaments of the two groups to be interleaved. The resulting flow is compacted into a yarn. 9

With the process and apparatus for carrying out this process described, it is possible to correlate the crimping operation with the interleaving operation and at the same time to attain predetermined patterns of distribution of the filaments in each of the groups of filaments as the filaments in the two groups merge, to assure substantially uniform distribution of the filaments of each group throughout the combined groups.

Various other objects, features and advantages of the present invention are apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a perspective showing a fragment of an apparatus employed for carrying out the process in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a section showing the drive for different parts of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective showing a fragment of an apparatus employed for carrying out the process in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is provided a guide 10 in the form of a bar, supported at the ends in a frame 11 and having a crimping sharp or knife edge 12. A sheet of synthetic continuous filaments 13 under tension passes through a relatively sharp approach and departure angle over the crimping edge 12 and is pulled by a pair of tensioning rolls 14 into a relaxing zone 15 on the discharge side of said rolls, where the tensions on the filaments are released and the filaments slackened sufliciently to permit them to recoil. This operation causes the filaments 13 to deviate from straight condition into gathers, puckers, folds or loops or to otherwise become twisted to form the crimped fila ments 13a.

In the specific form shown, the filaments 13 to be crimped are shown supplied from a bobbin 16. However, if desired, these filaments may be supplied more directly from a source of manufacture. these filaments 13 may be extruded from spinnerets, coagulated, drawn and fixed in the manner well known in the art, according to the material from which the filaments are made, and the filaments may be passed over the knife edge 12 without being first spooled.

The filaments 13 may, for example, be made of polypropylene, polyethylene, vinyon, Dynel, Saran, Orlon,

nylon or other materials which are suitable for making synthetic textile fibers.

The process of knife edge crimping is well known and the necessary conditions of molecular orientation, tension or heat relaxation, shrinkage, etc., necessary to carry out such crimping may be followed according to the character of the filament material employed.

The filaments 13 to be crimped are shown separated and distributed uniformly over the crimping knife edge 12 to form equal spaces therebetween. In an interleaving zone 17 near to but spaced from the knife edge 12 where the filaments 13a are still uniformly separated, separated continuous filaments 18 in the form of a sheet are fed into interleaving relationship with the crimped filaments 13a. The spacings between the filaments 18 are shown equal For example,

and corresponding to the spacings between the filaments 13a, but the sheet of filaments 18 is offset laterally in relation to the sheet of filaments 130: so that said filaments 18 are fed substantially midway between the filaments 13a as the two sheets merge.

The filaments 18 may also be of synthetic material and may be similar in material, size and/ or other characteristics as the filaments 13 or may be of different synthetic material, size and/ or characteristic, depending on the type of yarn desired.

, In the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the number of filaments 13 in one group and the number of filaments 18 in the other group are shown the same, and the filaments in each group are equally spaced to effect alternate interleaving of the filaments in the two groups. However, the percentage of filaments in the two groups may be varied, in which case, the filaments in each group may not be equally spaced. However, the distribution and pattern of spacing of the filaments in each group and the positional relationship of the filaments of the two groups as they approach the interleaving zone are desirably such as to effect substantially uniform distribution of the filaments in each group in the combined groups. For example, the filaments in one group, as they approach the interleaving zone, may be arranged in equally spaced sets containing the same number of filaments, and the filaments in the other group, as they approach said zone, may be arranged so that spaced filaments or spaced equal sets of filaments in said other group are inserted into the spaces respectively between the sets of said one group to effect substantially uniform distribution of filaments or sets of filaments between the combined groups.

The filaments 18 are shown delivered from a supply bobbin or spool 19, but here again, the filaments, if synthetic, may be supplied more directly from a source of manufacture without being spooled, as described in connection with the filaments 13. The filaments 18 in the form of a sheet pass over a roll 26, constituting one of a pair of delivery rolls 20, 21 and then between said rolls, The sheet of crimped filaments 13a also passes between the delivery rolls 20, 21 and as the two sheets of filaments 13a and 18 merge in the nip of these rolls, the filaments in the two sheets become interleaved. The resulting bundle 22 combining both the crimped filaments 13a and the straight filaments 18 may then be drawn together into a yarn or twisted on a ring twister 23 and wound onto a package 24 for subsequent use.

The tensioning rolls 14 and the delivery rolls 20, 21 may be driven at the necessary speeds in any suitable manner. In the form of drive mechanism shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a drive gear 25 driven from a motor (not shown) is on the shaft of one of the tensioning rolls 14 and meshes with an idler 26 which meshes with a gear 27 on ,the shaft of the roll 20. The gear 27 in turn meshes witha gear 28 on the shaft of the roll 21, and the gear 28 drives a gear 30 on the shaft of the other tensioning roll 14 through an idler 31. The ratios of gear drives and the ratios of roll diameters are such as to drive the rolls 14 at a peripheral speed to tension the filaments 13 sufficiently for crimping as they are drawn across the knife edge 12 of the guide 10 and to drive the delivery rolls 20, 21 at a much lower peri heral speed to permit the tension on the filaments 13 to be relaxed between the rolls 14 and the rolls 20, 21 and to cause said filaments to recoil and crimp.

, FIG. 3 shows a modification in which two groups of filaments and 36 are drawn in interleaved relationship at the sametime over a guide 37 having crimping knife edge increments 38 alternating with non-crimping increments 40 presenting curved blunt surfaces. The continuous synthetic filaments 35 to be crimped, are drawn under tension across the crimping knife edge increments 38 of the guide 37, while the continuous synthetic filaments 36, which are not to be crimped, are drawn across the non-crimping increments 40. It is desirable that the filaments 36 be at a less tension than the filaments 35 to be crimped, and for that purpose, there is provided a pair of tensioning rolls 42 and 43, the roll 42 being cylindrically continuous, while the other roll 43 has a series of slots 44 separated by bosses or collars 45 in peripheral engagement with the roll 42. The filaments 35 to be crimped and drawn across the knife edge increments 38 of the guide 37, pass between the roll 42 and the collars 4-5 and are pulled thereby sufficiently to tension the filaments for crimping. The filaments 36 on the other hand, which are not to be crimped, are drawn across the noncrimping increments 4t and pass between the roll 42 and the slotted regions of the roll 43, so that they are not tensioned by the rolls 42 and 43. Beyond the rolls 42 and 43, the filaments 35 are tensionally relaxed to cause them to recoil and to form thereby the crimped filaments 35a, while the filaments 36 interleaved with the filaments 35a remain straight. The bundle 46 formed by combining the crimped elements 35a and the straight filaments 36 are then drawn together into a yarn or twisted as described in connection with the process illustrated in FIG. 1.

The crimping knife edge increments 38 are shown in the drawings equal in length and equally spaced and the non crimping increments 40 are also shown equal in length and, of course, equally spaced by the increments 38. The filaments 35 are spread along the guide 37 so that equal numbers offilaments pass over the crimping knife edge increments 38 and the filaments 36 are spread along the guide 37, so that equal numbers of these filaments 36 pass over the non-crimping increments 40. In this way, the filaments in the two groups are substantially uniformly mixed and distributed in the ultimate yarn.

The crimping in one group of filaments has been described as being formed by drawing the filaments across a crimping knife edge while the filaments are under tension and then relaxing the tension to cause the filaments to recoil and become crimped. However, it is contemplated within the purview of the present invention to pass thermoplastic filaments forming one group through a heating zone and then over a relatively cold, sharpedged surface or spaced surfaces on a guide to impart a substantially permanent latent crimp thereto. The filaments should be raised to a temperature in the heating zone to a point between the second order transition point and the first order transition point for the particular filament being run. Although the filament may be under tension during this latent crimping operation, it need not be sufficient to cause immediate crimping upon tension relaxation. After the two groups of filaments are interleaved and combined in the manner described, the resulting bundle or yarn may be subjected to subsequent crimp development treatment, as for example, by subjecting the bundle or yarn to hot moisture, hot air or contact heater treatment, either before formation of a fabric therefrom or after formation of a fabric.

The technique of crimping by heating and heat-relaxing over a sharp edge is, per se, well known, but its use in conjunction with a guide presenting such an edge for spreading and distributing the filaments for interleaving operation of two groups of filaments in the production of a blended or composite yarn of the type described is novel.

While the invention has been described with particular reference to specific embodiments, it is to be understood that it is not to be limited thereto but is to be construed broadly and restricted solely by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A process of producing bulked filament yarn, which comprises passing a first group of continuous synthetic filaments in separated form over guide means, feeding a second group of continuous filaments in separated form in a region where the filaments of said first group are still in separated form to cause the two groups of separated filaments to merge into interleaving relationship to form a bundle in which the filaments in the two groups are distributed, the filaments of the two groups having differential crimping properties before the two groups of filaments are merged, treating the bundle to form a singles yarn having the filaments still continuous and the filaments of greater crimping properties crimped and interleaved by the filaments of lesser crimping properties distributed throughout the yarn.

2. A process as described in claim 1, wherein said guide means is in the form of a member presenting a longitudinal guide edge over which the filaments of said first group pass.

3. A process of producing bulked filament yarn, which comprises passing a first group of continuous synthetic filaments side by side over a guide in separated sheet form, feeding a second group of continuous filaments side by side in separated sheet form in a region where the filaments of said first group are still in separated sheet form to cause the two sheets of filaments to merge into interleaving relationship to form a bundle in which the filaments in the two groups are distributed in accordance with a substantially predetermined plan, the filaments of the two groups having differential crimping properties before the two groups of filaments are merged, and treating the bundle to form a singles yarn having the filaments still continuous and the filaments of greater crimping properties crirnped and interleaved by the filaments of lesser crimping properties distributed throughout the yarn.

4. A process of producing bulked filament yarn, which comprises passing a first group of continuous synthetic filaments side by side in separated sheet form over a crimping guiding edge under conditions to cause said filaments subsequently to become crimped, feeding a second group of continuous fialments side by side in separated sheet :form in a region where the filaments of said first group are still in separated sheet form to cause the two sheets of filaments to merge into interleaving relationship to form a bundle in which the filaments in the two groups are distributed in accordance with a substantially predetermined pattern, and treating the bundle to form a singles yarn having the filaments still continuous and the filaments of said first group crimped and interleaved by the filaments of said second group, and having the filaments in the two groups distributed throughout the yarn substantially in accordance with said pattern.

5. A process as described in claim 4, wherein said crimping edge is continuous and wherein substantially the entire first group of filaments passes over said crimping edge.

6. A process of producing bulked filament yarn, which comprises passing a first group of continuous synthetic filaments side by side in sheet form over a crimping guiding edge under conditions to cause said filaments subsequently to become crimped, said crimping edge being divided into spaced crimping increments separated by in crements presenting non-crimping blunt edges, said filaments being passed over the increments of the crimping edge in spaced sets of one or more filaments, feeding a second group of continuous filaments side by side in sheet form over the increments of non-crimping edges and in spaced sets of one or more filaments in interleaving relationship with the filaments of said first group, to form a bundle in which the filaments in the two groups are distributed in accordance with a substantially predetermined pattern, and forming a yarn from said bundle.

7. A process of producing bulk filament yarn, which comprises passing a first group of continuous synthetic filaments side by side in separated sheet form and under tension over a crimping guiding knife edge, tensionally relaxing said filaments to crimp said filaments, feeding a second group of continuous filaments side by side in separated sheet form in a region where filaments of said second group are still in separated sheet form, to cause the two sheets of filaments to merge into interleaving relationship to form a bundle in which the filaments in the two groups are distributed in accordance with a substantially predetermined pattern, and forming the bundle into a singles yarn having the filaments still continuous, and the filaments of the second group relatively straight and distributed throughout the yarn substantially in accordance with said pattern.

8. A process as described in claim 7, wherein said crimping edge is continuous and wherein substantially the entire first group of filaments passes over said crimping edge.

9. A process of producing bulked filament yarn, which comprises passing a first group of continuous synthetic filaments side by side in sheet form and under tension over a crimping guiding knife edge divided into spaced crimping increments separated by increments presenting noncrimping blunt edges, said filaments being passed over the increments of the crimping edge in spaced sets of one or more filaments, tensionally relaxing said filaments to crimp said filaments, feeding a second group of continuous filaments side by side in sheet form over the increments of non-crimping edges in spaced sets of one or more filaments and in interleaving relationship with the filaments of said first group to form a bundle in which the filaments in the two groups are distributed in accordance With a substantially predetermined pattern, and forming a yarn from said bundle.

10. An apparatus for producing a bulked filament yarn comprising a guide, means for passing a first group of continuous filaments side by side over said guide in separated sheet form, means for crimp-modifying said filaments while in said form, means for feeding a second group of continuous filaments side by side in separated sheet form in a region where the filaments of said first group are still in separated sheet form to cause the two sheets of filaments to merge into interleaving relationship to form a bundle in which the filaments in the two groups are distributed in accordance with a substantially predetermined pattern, and means for forming said bundle into a singles yarn having the filaments still continuous and the filaments of the first group crimped, and having the filaments of the second group relatively straight and distributed throughout the yarn substantially in accordance with said pattern.

11. An apparatus for producing a bulked filament yarn comprising a crimping guiding edge, means for passing a first group of continuous filaments side by side over said edge in separated sheet form and under conditions to cause said filaments subsequently to become crimped, means for feeding a second group of continuous filaments side by side in separated sheet form in a region where the filaments of said first group are still in separated sheet form to cause the two sheets of filaments to merge into interleaving relationship to form a bundle in which the filaments in the two groups are distributed in accordance with a substantially predetermined pattern, and means for forming said bundle into a singles yarn having the filaments still continuous and the filaments of the first group crimped, and having the filaments of the second group relatively straight and distributed throughout the yarn substantially in accordance with said pattern.

12. An apparatus as described in claim 11, wherein said crimping edge is continuous, and wherein said passing means is operative to cause substantially the entire first group of filaments to pass over said crimping edge.

13. An apparatus for producing a bulked filament yarn comprising a crimping guiding edge divided into spaced crimping increments separated by increments presenting non-crimping blunt edges, means for passing said continuous filaments side by side in sheet form over said increments of the crimping edge and in spaced sets of one or more filaments under conditions to cause said filaments subsequently to become crimped, means for feeding a second group of continuous filaments side by side in sheet form in spaced sets of one or more filaments over the increments of the non-crimping blunt edges and in inter leaving relationship with the filaments of said first group to form a bundle in which the filaments in the two groups are distributed in accordance with a substantially predetermined pattern, and means for forming a yarn from said bundle.

14. An apparatus for producing a bulked filament yarn comprising a guide presenting a crimping knife edge, means for passing a first group of continuous filaments side by side over said edge in separated sheet form while tensioning said filaments, means for tensionally relaxing said filaments after passing over said edge to crimp said filaments, means for feeding a second group of continuous filaments side by side in separated sheet form in a region where the filaments of said second group are still in separated sheet form, to cause the two sheets of filaments to merge into interleaving relationship to form a bundle in which the filaments in the two groups are distributed in accordance with a substantially predetermined pattern, and means for forming said bundle into a singles yarn having the filaments still continuous and having the filaments of the second group relatively straight and distributed throughout the yarn substantially in accordance with said pattern.

15. An apparatus as described in claim 14, wherein said crimping edge is continuous, and wherein said passing means is operative to pass substantially the entire first group of filaments over said crimping edge.

16. An apparatus for producing a bulked filament yarn comprising a guide presenting a crimping knife edge divided into spaced crimping increments separated by increments presenting non-crimping blunt edges, means for passing a first group of continuous filaments under tension side by side in sheet form and in spaced sets of one or more filaments over the increments of the crimping edge, means for tensionally relaxing said filaments after passing over said crimping edge to crimp said filaments, means for feeding a second group of continuous filaments side by side in sheet form over the increments of non-crimping edges and in spaced sets of one or more filaments in interleaving relation ship with the filaments of said first group to form a bundle in which the filaments in the two groups are distributed in accordance with a substantially predetermined pattern, and means for forming a yarn from said bundle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,746,091 5/56 Tissot er al 57-157 X 2,825,199 3/58 Hicks 57-36 3,035,328 5/62 Bolinger 2872 3,070,950 1/63 Thomas 57-157 3,132,462 5/64 Kim et a1. 57-34 FOREIGN PATENTS 600,624 6/60 Canada.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner. 

10. AN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A BULKED FILAMENT YARN COMPRISING A GUIDE, MEANS FOR PASSING A FIRST GROUP OF CONTINUOUS FILAMENT SIDE BY SIDE OVER SAID GUIDE IN SEPARATED SHEET FORM, MEANS FOR CRIMP-MODIFYING SAID FILAMENTS WHILE IN SAID FORM, MEANS FOR FEEDING A SECOND GROUP OF CONTINUOUS FILAMENTS SIDE BY SIDE IN SEPARATED SHEET FORM IN A REGION WHERE THE FILAMENTS OF SAID FIRST GROUP ARE STILL IN A REGION WHERE THE FILAMENTS OF SAID FIRST SHEETS OF FILAMENTS TO MERGE INTO INTERLEAVING RELATIONSHIP TO FORM A BUNDLE IN WHICH THE FILAMENTS IN THE TWO GROUPS ARE DISTRIBUTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY PREDETERMINED PATTERN, AND MEANS FOR FORMING SAID BUNDLE INTO A SINGLES YARN HAVING THE FILAMENTS STILL CONTINUOUS AND THE FILAMENTS OF THE FIRST GROUP CRIMPED, AND HAVING THE FILAMENTS OF THE SECOND GROUP RELATIVELY STRAIGHT AND DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE YARN SUBSTANTIALLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH SAID PATTERN. 